Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the invention relate to Halbach arrays, which, by their nature, exhibit a Halbach array effect. Halbach arrays are useful in electric devices such as motors and generators, and have other useful applications.
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Halbach arrays have been typically comprised of permanent magnets wherein the magnets are arranged in a manner such that the magnetic field on one side of the array is augmented or enhanced while the magnetic field on the opposite side of the array is elastically decreased or cancelled. Some references have described arrangements of ordinary electromagnets arranged in Halbach array sequence but the level of augmentation and reduction of magnetic fields achieved has been severely disabled or non-existent and therefore yielding no real advantage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,902 discloses cylindrical electromagnets configured to approximate a Halbach array. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,902 discloses Halbach arrays within a generator. The prior art, as noted above, includes applications in which permanent magnets have been arranged in Halbach arrays sequence. Some examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,540,004, 7,031,116, 6,906,446, 6,841,910 and 6,858,962. None of the examples in the prior art describe Halbach array sequences of electromagnets which produce an effective and significant enhanced magnetic field on one side of the array and proportional reduction of magnetic field on the opposite side.